The Cozy Shop

The Cozy Shop was one place to go to socialize and get a bite to eat in La Mott in the 1940’s and 50’s.  Once located at the corner of Keenan Street and Willow Avenue (the 1500 block of Willow Avenue), across from (then) McConnell’s, the shop was owned by William Deck and Paul Giles and serviced the community.  The menu included everything from hot dogs, hamburgers, and cold sandwiches to pies, cakes, and ice cream.  The Cozy Shop also had a jukebox so you could listen to your favorite tune while munching on a sandwich and chatting with friends. 

In the village, as La Mott is considered, was a printer, two grocery stores, a taproom/beer garden (that apparently had good food), a modiste (dress maker), a confectionary store and other businesses.  You could purchase candy, butter, eggs, milk, luncheon meats, get your car serviced and your shoes repaired all without leaving the neighborhood. Years ago, I read that the dollar went around 11 times in a neighborhood of Chicago before it left the area. As I learn about La Mott, I wonder if a similar principle applied there. Now, people leave the area for groceries, locating a restaurant and the like.

Before The Cozy Shop existed, the same space was formally an ice cream parlor owned by Mr. Olvis (who lived on Butcher Street).  He ran the place complete with little round tables and chairs with heart-shaped backs.  Later it was an eatery owned by Ruth Dorsey where single and widowed men often came for some serious home cooking.  I read an ad written in 1952 for Ruth’s Grill, an eatery located east in the same block as The Cozy Shop, and I wonder if it is the same Ruth Dorsey who moved her establishment after The Cozy Shop closed. The same facility eventually became a barber shop and an artist’s studio; it is now an apartment.

What is a pancake?

Recently, a 100-year old family friend gave me her mother's cookbook.  The cookbook was purchased at Gimbel's Department Store in Philadelphia way back when (according to a sticker in the back of the book).  Published in 1921, it is called The Settlement Cook Book and it was compiled by a Mrs. Simon Kander. (The subtitle on the front of the book reads "The Way to a Man's Heart".) I'm especially interested in the book since it ties in with some of the genealogy and local history that I've been doing around the 1921 time period.

This morning, I thought I'd try a pancake recipe from the book for something a little different.  The recipe calls for 1/4 cup of flour, 1 cup of milk, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 3 separated eggs.  I followed the instructions for combining the ingredients and wondered why more flour wasn't called for.  Once I completed the recipe, I thought I had more of a crepe rather than a pancake.

So, this little cooking experiment made me wonder "What is a Pancake?" and isn't it interesting to prepare a recipe from a cookbook from a time period different from the one I grew up in. As a side note, for years we made our pancakes using Bisquick.

One of the other things that tickled me was the heading in the front of the book entitled "Care of Ice Box."  My father was born in 1916 and referred to our fridge as an ice box.  Meanwhile, my mother born in 1925, approximately six miles from my dad, and she used the term Frigidaire which was the name of a type of refrigerator.

Anyhoo, the shelves should be wiped of every morning (yeah, right). Also, the pipes and drain should be freed from sediment that could come because of the melting ice. Wow! There is more information about 'ice boxes' that we could consider.  I'm thrilled we have electricity and a modern fridge.

La Mott's Baseball Team

So many people are aware of La Mott being a neighborhood with a Community Center and playground.  Others are also aware that there is a Fire Company and a community garden where people can much of what comes out of the garden. And still others are aware of its historical significance as the former location of the Camp William Penn, a training camp for Colored Soldiers during the Civil War.

I do wonder though how many people are aware that La Mott had a baseball team. One of my mother's cousins has mentioned the team when she talked about various aspects of La Mott before the 1960s.  When you view my photo of a photo, note that the team is in front of a stone barn that still stands off of Sycamore Avenue south of Willow Avenue.  View the image yourself and see if you recognize anyone.  I think Mr. Ronald Kelly is kneeling right in the center of the photo. I don't know when the photo was taken.

Camp William Penn Reenactors

Saturday, September 21, 2013 was an incredibly beautiful day.  It was also the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the founding of Camp William Penn, the former training site for coloresoldiers which was open from 1883 to 1885.  The celebration took place in what is now known as La Mott, PA.  La Mott was named after Lucretia Mott, an abolitionist.

The events, of that day, included a parade, "casualities" at the barn, the opening of a museum, speakers, historians, and activities for children.

The reenactors were in several places during the day and towards the end of the festivities, they stood together in preparation for Taps. Here they are dressed in the uniform that the actual soldiers would have worn in the 1860's.

I was looking at a September 11, 1958 issue of  the Daily Defender while doing some local history research and came upon this listing of television programs. I wonder if my parents' generation which I consider the World War II generation, might have watched any of these shows.  I image that several programs were quite popular in some households whether in La Mott or in Chicago, where some family relocated.

"Ding Dong School" was billed as "the nursery school of the air" and was hosted by Miss Frances. "Romper Room," a similar program, was hosted in Philly by Miss Claire.  "Teen Club" was a teen-oriented music-variety program which I guess was a precursor to "Band Stand."  At one point the singer Leslie Uggams was a winner on this show.  Finally, "The Ford Show" aired and starred singer Tennessee Ernie Ford.

Of course there are several other shows which aired at the time.  These a just a few.

Ellwood Ivins Steel Tube Works, Inc.

In the 1920 U.S. Census, I noted that several people in La Mott worked at a place called the "Tube Works." A couple of years before his death, I spoke to my neighbor Mr. Noah Fields hoping for some insight as to where and what this place was. Mr. Fields recalled how the company was near what we know as Melrose Park Station. After doing a bit of research at places like the Old York Road Historical Society, I found some interesting information.

The Ellwood Ivins Tube Works was built in 1893 and first put into operation in 1894 (Directory of Iron Steel Works of the United States, 1939). The Ivins company was located a stone's throw from the Oak Lane Station (now Melrose Park Station) just inside the Philadelphia/Cheltenham Township border in Montgomery County.

The company made all sorts of steel tubes that were components of other manufactured items. The factory is in the 1897 and 1909 atlases published by A. H. Mueller and Company for the Reading Railroad. While I don't know when the factory folded, I do know that in 1952 they advertised in an anniversary publication for Cheltenham Township.

As I research my families' histories and the history of La Mott, I am amazed and surprised at what I am continually learning. I am thrilled at the fact that so many bread-winners were able to work so close to home (Ivins Tube Works was within walking distance of La Mott) which meant more time with their families.

Chelten Hills to Cheltenham

Chelten Hills Document

So much of what I've learned through the years is by word of mouth.  I knew at some point that Cheltenham Township was once "Chelten Hills' but I'm not sure when the name changed. 

I found this document with so many others of the late 1800's and photographed it.  Not much else that I want to say about it other than, this is pretty cool.

A Lawn Party

There are times when I wonder what La Mott was really like during various decades.  Look at the photo of this image!  It was one of several that I took while visiting a neighbor's collection. 

This ticket to a lawn party (which perhaps meant big floppy hats?) lists the names of Mrs. V. Burley and Mr. James A Burley.  James Burley was my mother's great uncle and one of the founders of Fairview Cemetary in Upper Dublin, PA.  How many people can claim that on their resume?

Anyhoo, I find the concept of a lawn party really neat.  I imagine that everyone was really well dressed back then. I imagine that people sipped lemonade from fancy glasses and chatted amongst themselves. Maybe there was a game of croquet going on. I wonder what a lawn party would be like today.  Would people wear casual clothing like shorts and sundresses or capris. Would they play a game of  baseball, toss the football or play volleyball?  What do you think? 

Reading About Your Neighborhood

In my effort to learn more about La Mott, and my family of origin, I am led to various resources such as the newspaper "The Philadelphia Tribune," established in 1884. To view the previous issues of the newspaper online meant that I could read about garden parties where women wore large hats, La Mott Hall where dances were held, baby showers, wedding anniversaries and various other social events. By looking under the heading "La Mott Events"  I saw that there was quite a bit going on.

An "Apron and Necktie" dinner was hosted on Graham Lane in March 1942. (I have no idea what kind of event this is.)

In May 1943, The newspaper reported that the Moore-Triplett Post, No 451 of the American Legion Board of Commissioners wanted to honor the Colored Soldiers at Camp William Penn and on the corner of Willow and Sycamore Avenues you will see a monument placed to honor those soldiers.

A La Mott Center Open Membership Drive was held, according to the March 16, 1957 issue of the "Tribune."  The Board wanted to expand the Center's community activities and fellowship organizations.  Mr. Aaron Bass served as president of the Center and Mrs. Helen Olvis served as one of the Campaign assistants. 

The  La Mott Community Center hosted a Baby Clinic in March 1959 which was a health forum for local mothers.

These are just a few of the events that were held during a time when the residents worked together for the common good of the neighborhood. 

1897 Map of La Mott

Through the years various organizations have created maps. A.H. Mueller & Company's publish an Altas of Cheltenham, Abington and Springfield Townships, Montgomery County, Penna. I focused on the La Mott area naturally.

One of the reasons this atlas is so interesting is because of Walker Jones. He lived on Willow Avenue intersected by Cedar Lane. He had a plot of land that he divided so that two brick homes could be built and lived in by his two sons Alphonso and Leon. His daughter lived with him and his other two sons also lived on Willow Avenue on either side of School Lane.

I was wondering if there was a map showing the property before Walker Jones divided it and indeed there is. This 1897 atlas shows his property. One other thing that interested me is when he moved from Upper Dublin where he appeared with his family on the 1880 U.S. Census. The 1890 U.S. Census burned barely leaving any census information. So, when did he move. Best I can figure out at this time, he purchased his property on Willow Avenue sometime before this publication was completed. Another note to mention is the the atlas lists the owners of property all throughout La Mott, Cheltenham Township and so on.

The atlas can be found at the Old York Road Historical Society located in the Jenkintown Library on Old York Road.

Jay Pee Street

I included about half the map in the previous entry where I spoke about Bee-Dee (now B-D) Street. What is Cedar Lane was once planned to be Jay-Pee Street. It's interesting to find this information and then wonder why the change was made. I figure if Edward Davis had all of the street names in print they would remain that way; however, Beach became Beech, Bee-Dee became B-D and Jay-Pee became Cedar. While none of us may never know why the street names are different from the original plan, it is certainly something to think about.

Bee Dee Street

Learning about your community yields all sorts of surprises. Take a look at the image on the left that was one of the initial plans for the part of La Mott west of Sycamore Avenue. It includes the public school that is now known as the La Mott Community Center. You can see, and this by the way is only part of the original planning document, that what is now B-D Street was originally going to be called Bee Dee Street. On the right is a photo I took of the community gardens and this view shows the intersection at Graham Lane and B-D Street. I don't know why and when the street name spelling changed, but obviously it did. As a child, we understood that the street was named after a pack of Bad Dogs that roamed the street or Benjamin Davis, who ever that was.

Please note that on the image on the left the school is called Camp Town Public School. This is one of a few original documents that a neighbor gave me the opportunity to digitally photograph. It is also one of the only documents that I've ever seen that has the original name of the village of Camp Town. Sometime after the after the Civil War when the land was known as Camp William Penn the area was planned with the names of the owners of various parcels of land and the street names. Notice also the one street is called "Beach" and in actuality became "Beech" Avenue.

On the other side of this small map, which is about 5" x 8", Edward Davis' name appears. (Actually, the name reads as E. M. Davis.) I make the assumption that this is Edward M. Davis, Lucretia Mott's son-in-law. Anyhoo, on this side of the map, he refers to the date January 1, 1885. The document itself is not dated, so perhaps it was prepared in 1884. Best as I can figure, he was instrumental in planning part of the village. I've not seen a map that refers to the village east of Sycamore Avenue, but perhaps there is one in existance somewhere.

Do you know how any of the streets in your community got their name? What urban legends exist about the area where you live?

Estelle Burley Anderson (1920-2010)

In my last blog post, I reported my Cousin Stanley's death. A few weeks after Cousin Stanley died, his older sister Cousin Stelle pasted away. It was a challenging time for the family.

I spent a lot of time with my Cousin Stelle between sharing a meal at Applebee's in Jenkintown or stopping by her house for a quick chat. She was so interested in family and local history as am I. We shared the same Burley relatives and I was always so entralled to hear tales of her father, mother, siblings and the rest of the family. She was also a 'Washington' through her mother and I enjoyed hearing about that side of her family as well. One of her relatives, Robert Washington, lived right next door to my Uncle Miltie (Milton) and Aunt Alice Jones. It's an interesting experience be directly or indirectly related to so many people in one neighborhood.

One of the last times that my mother and Cousin Stelle and I went out to dinner, Cousin Stelle talked about how much the times have changed. She stated that she thought kids today were growing up too fast.

She talked about playing jacks and ball and 'store' where the stones were potatoes and the leaves were vegetables. A child can use his/her imagination through free play.

I will still continue to blog about Cousin Stelle on occasion as I so often took notes when we visited together and I want to share her knowledge.

Stanley Burley (1932 - 2010)

Stanley Burley was born in La Mott, educated in the Cheltenham Township School System and eventually moved to Willingboro, NJ. He was my mother's cousin. His father and my mother's mother were brother and sister.

At this funeral, one of his friends touched upon how as a child Cousin Stanley stated that he wanted to be funeral director when he became an adult. He fulfilled his life's dream and worked for several years in his profession. My best guess is that he was influenced by his father who was one of the founders of Fairview Cemetery, a black-owned and operated organization located in Upper Dublin, Montgomery County.

I was moved my the fact that he knew what he wanted as a child and his steps were directed down that path. He worked at other places and he attended Mercer Community College and Temple University to achieve his goal.

He was a devoted father, uncle and brother. My primary recollection of him was when there was a historical program about La Mott, he and his wife would come over from New Jersey to the La Mott Community Center and I was impressed by that. It's like he never forgot where he came from and the historical significance of the community.

He was a graduate of Cheltenham High School (Go Panthers!) and he served in the Air Force shortly after graduating from CHS.

During the repast, I sat with a couple of women who knew Cousin Stanley from Willingboro. They had me in stitches because both Cousin Stanley and his wife got on the "Net." They were on Facebook and had email accounts as well. It's great to hear when people in the 70's and 80's are busy searching the web. Apparently there were two personal computers in the home with each of the two having his/her own access.

I am fortunate to be part of a family that moves with the times.

Wm Ritchie and La Mott Realty Company

Recently, I came across the will of one of my great-grandfathers who lived in La Mott. Written in 1931, there are references to his having stock in both La Mott Realty and Fairview Cemetery Companies. I wondered if there was a link between the two organizations. Turns out there is.

The Realty Company was located on School Lane at Cheltenham Avenue (then City Line Avenue). After a relative mentioned the company and a Mr. Ritchie, I hopped over to the Old York Road Historical Society archives to see what information they had on hand. The 1937 Atlas of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania has a reference to the Realty Company complete with address on School Lane. This confirmed the physical location of the company.

Fairview Cemetery is the final resting place of people from La Mott and outer-lying areas like Germantown. Right smack dab in the middle of the cemetery is a large simple monument in the shape of a head stone with the name Ritchie on it. For decades I wondered who or what was Ritchie.

It turns out that Mr. William A. Ritchie was a prominent citizen in La Mott and a founder of the Fairview Cemetery in Upper Dublin. He was also the owner and major share holder of the La Mott Building and Loan Association according to Elaine W. Rothschild's Old York Road Historical Society Bulletin. I read that Mr. Ritchie was also employed as a butler by George Elkins as in the Elkins Estate and Elkins Park. Ritchie was the person who loaned money to La Mott residents to buy homes and set up businesses. The Realty Company and the Building and Loan Association were both owned by Ritchie.

In a 1927 publication of building assessments in La Mott and other areas in Cheltenham Township, I noted that the Real Estate Holding Company building was assessed at $1,100, the La Mott Realty Company building was assessed at $2,000 and the Real Estate Holding Company building (listed a second time) was assessed in the amount of $29,000.

Mr. Ritchie went on to organize the Fairview Cemetery in Upper Dublin, PA in 1907 with others and served as first president. (The cemetery is about 20 or so minutes from La Mott.) James Burley, Ritchie's partner, and my great-great uncle, "aided prospective black homeowners or businessmen in the purchase of property" according to the website http://www.livingplaces.com/PA/Montgomery_County/Cheltenham_Township/LaMott.html.

Mr. Ritchie was an important person in La Mott largely because of his ability and foresight to help the other citizens. A tribute to him, if you will, was the monument that sits on the Ritchie Section at Fairview cemetery.

As for my great-grandfather, Walker Jones, having stock in the company must have been especially rewarding for him. The 1880 U.S. Census records him as being a farm laborer in Upper Dublin with a wife and small children. He came quite a long way from laborer to home and stock owner.

Hooper? Say What?

That's right--Hooper. Basically, Hooper is a sophisticated game of tag played in usually in the warmer months. Like most games, there are some rules and when I ran into Darryl, a childhood friend, he gave me the lowdown on how the game was played. This is his narrative.

"The game usually involved 10 or more participants; I've seen 20 at times. The more, the merrier! Two of those participants were needed to get the game started - one being the "spinner", the other the "chucker." There were sometimes loud and contentious (but brief) debates about who would get to be spinner or chucker. I cannot remember why these positions were held in such esteem. The participants would stand in a circle, legs slightly spread, with the shoes of each participant touching those next to him/her so there was an unbroken circle. Prior to gathering in a circle, a stick, usually a small tree branch was found and the bark picked off of one end to the be "point". Here's where the spinner's job started and the game got fun!

"Standing as one of the participants in the circle, the spinner would spin/toss the stick into the middle of the circle and the "point" would end up pointing either to someone's foot (a "shoe") or directly between their legs (a "through"). If a participant receive 2 "throughs" or 3 "shoes", they were considered "it". More about that in a sec...

"Depending on the number of players, the spinning part could take a bit of time, but this was fun too. Because of the randomness of the spin and the group's judgment as to whose shoe the stick might actually be pointing to, there was often cause for the spinner to get down on hands and knees and draw and invisible line in the grass from the stick to the shoe to accurately determine who had gotten a "shoe". And then there was keeping track of how many "shoes" and "throughs" everyone had. More spirited debates, more fun!

"Eventually after numerous spins, throughs, shoes, etc., someone would be deemed "it". At this point, the boundaries of the game were briefly re-iterated; the Community Center and the entire block around it were the boundaries. The was bounded by Sycamore Avenue, Willow Avenue, B-D Street and Graham Lane. Participants were not supposed to leave this block during the game. You could run, you could find a hiding place (Mrs. Manley's tree for me, when she did not see you), as long as you remained on the block.

"This is where the "chucker's" job came in. With all participants still in the area where the circle was formed (including the "it" person), the stick was handed to the "chucker" whose job it was to "chuck" the stick as far away as possible, giving all participants a head start to get away from the person who was "it". No one could run until that stick was tossed. Once tossed, all were free to run. When the "it" person retrieved the stick and broke it in half, the game was officially "on" and they were free to try and tag/capture other players. Fun facts" depending on who was "it", some chuckers through it amusing to feign throwing the stick and simply drop it in the midst of the group where the person who was "it" could grab it quickly and tag someone before the slower runners in the group dispersed. If you were a fast-running chucker, this was not an issue but to slower participants, this usually meant they were caught early.

"OK, so the game has started, kids are running and hiding all over the place. Once the person who was "it" tags someone, they are considered "it" also and their job is to assist in catching everyone else. The more people who were caught, the more difficult it became to remain untagged since that group outnumbered those uncaught. With the game spread out over the Center grounds and sometimes throughout the block, participants could not always tell who was "caught" and who was not. So your friend walking up to you with a smile might deceive you with "c'mon lets hide over here" then tag you when you got close. Once it got down to 2-3 people left uncaught, the "caught" folks would usually devise a way to the remaining players. Eventually, the group would determine who was left and there would be the winner!

"Other facts:
1. You did not want a Christopher to be "it", particularly Calvin. Extremely fast runner with endurance who would run you down because you would tire long before he did.

2. Some hiding places were good only once or twice. Mrs. Manley's tree was a good one until someone saw me climbing down after I'd won. In subsequent Hooper games, it became one of the 1st places people looked.

3. Mr. Berry's garage (when open) was a good spot!"

Wildlife in La Mott

A few days ago, I looked at the back door in the evening to see an opossum looking for food. The floodlight was on so I got a good look at this invader. I don't think it was an adult as it seemed a bit smaller than those I've been before. Actually, most of the opossums I've seen in the past were paws up on the side of the road and I don't think they were faking it.

Anyhoo, I thought this creature was pretty cute although many 'possums lean towards the not so cute side. The creature navigated the yard a bit before disappearing from my sight. Later, I look out again to see if the 'possum might have reappeared and here I am looking at a skunk's hindquarters! I watched it only for a moment before closing the door.

A day later, I was chatting with a neighbor and we talked about the creatures that we've seen in and around La Mott including chipmunks, pheasants, foxes, a small herd of deer including a buck, raccoons and groundhogs. As we've seen the various forms of wildlife, they each seemed to move as if they owned the neighborhood and who's to say that they don't. Then again, whose going to argue with a family of skunks walking across the community center's grounds or along Graham Lane as if they are on their way to some important destination?

There are times when the animals aren't moving freely in the 'hood. One early Sunday morning I was walking around Latham Park, the former location of Lucretia Mott's home Roadside. A small deer was stuck between two iron pickets. It had rubbed its hind part sides raw to the point where you could see flesh and blood. Two police officers responded to a neighbors call as the animal control officer wasn't on duty. One officer climbed the fence, went over to where the deer was stuck and separated the pickets. Don't know how much strength he had to exert since we're talking about a wrought iron fence here, but the deer was released, ran across Willow Avenue and scampered away.

Ruth's Grille and LaMott Ice and Coal

Making the decision to study local history seems to be full of more questions than answers. In the case of La Mott or LaMott (spacing apparently is everything), without those who have gone before me I am clueless. There is so much that was going on in the village at one time or another and I rely on the memories of others to assist me in my search for information. The challenge is finding someone who was alive "back in the day" and whether or not any photos or documentation exist.

In a program for Salem Baptist Church's fashion show hold Wednesday Evening, November 5, 1952, I see advertisements for Ruth's Grille and for LaMott Ice and Coal. The photos show the building where the Grille and Coal shop were once located. Looking at the picture above you have what is simply a home to a family in 2010. Looking at the side of the building is the outline of a staircase that has since been removed. My objective is to find someone who purchased a sandwich, ice cream or coal for their furnace from this address to fill in some of the details.

One thing that does occur to me is who takes photos of places like this? When I visit my old stomping grounds of Washington, DC or Horsham, England, I am aware of the historical significance of the buildings that my friend is standing in front of as I take the picture. But how historical is the local coal shop or grocery store?

Think about it, sometimes what is in the background of a photo can be later found to have as much historical significance as what is in the foreground of that same photo. For example, I read a biography about Teddy Roosevelt a few years ago. In the book's center is a section with personal and professional photographs. You can see one photo of President Lincoln's funeral procession as it passed through New York City in 1865. In the background is a picture of Teddy Roosevelt and his brother hanging out of a window, looking towards the procession. The photo centered on the casket, the dignitaries and the military and yet a future president was also represented.

I'm sure there are photos out there with the old post office or Mr. McConnell's grocery or my great-uncle's print shop in the background of a family snapshot or something similar. The question remains will I find the oral history of a place as well as a photo from the past?

A Stone in the Pavement

I'm sure each neighborhood has a few elements surrounded in mystery.

In order to make my blog a bit more interesting, I thought I'd walk around the neighborhood taking photos of this and that to illustrate my thoughts and others' stories. I wanted to take a few photos of the historical marker that indicates the entrance to what was once Camp William Penn, so I walked down Sycamore Avenue between Cheltenham Avenue and Willow Avenue looking for photo opportunities.

After taking a few photos, I noticed this marble stone in the pavement. I'm not sure that I ever noticed it before and even what made me pay attention to it at all. The stone looks like a little memorial placed in the cement perhaps even a century ago. I hope someone in the neighbohood has some background information about it. We shall see.

Have you recently noticed things in your neighborhood that you may have missed before?

Still newsworthy

In the Sunday edition of The Philadelphia Inquirer on August 29, 2010, a journalist wrote an article on the anniversary of women's suffrage. Lucretia Coffin Mott (1793-1880) is mentioned in the article as her work pertained to the women's suffrage movement. I notice that she must still be considered revelant as I'll see her mentioned in today's magazines and textbooks. Wikipedia.com is a good starting place if you want to learn more about this amazing woman.

I see Lucretia Mott as a person who was way ahead of her time. I've read articles about her and one biography and I wonder how many other women during her lifetime gave speeches and traveled as much as she did? She also had the support of her husband which would have been critical at the time.

I think Mrs. Mott must have been something of an enigma in the 1800's. Several years ago, I looked up her details in the 1860 U.S. Census and noted that the space next to her name listing occupation was blank. Many women at the time of that census were "keeping house" and men were farm laborers, merchants, or bricklayers. I've wondered if the census taker had no idea what to write and so he didn't write anything. On the other hand, it's not like there was enough space to write abolitionist, social reformer and women's suffragist.

Due to her life's work she is recognized in having a village named after her (La Mott) and marker honoring her memory here in Pennsylvania.